And teachers may get abused again

The Associated Press printed an article today reporting the Utah State Office of Education has delayed $20 million in teacher performance pay from being distributed this year. The delay is due to lawmakers deciding whether the teachers should get the bonuses or if it should be used for other needs in the state budget. Teachers were supposed to receive the bonus at the end of this school year, but now teachers will await a decision that will probably be made Tuesday.

If this information doesn't disturb every parent, student and teacher I'd be surprised. This topic is one I definitely feel strongly on. Our teachers, well most of them, put forth over the top efforts to teach Utah students; Utah teachers also are in the bottom third pay bracket. I didn't realize how much teachers really touched me until I reached high school, and as I've gone forward in college I've seen how most teachers go above and beyond for his or her students. What is that rewarded with? Most of the time it's nothing. Now they're promised a bonus that was set to be distributed to school districts before the first of this month, and it's on hold because the state may need it somewhere else.

The way I see it is everybody's hurting, but time and time again teachers get the cut. Why can't the state make a decision and stick with it? They know the teachers have earned this, and they know the teachers need this. If budgets are so bad then they need to find other areas, like they have before, to cut from. Stop making the teachers feel the effects of money problems the state is balancing. Let them, for once, fell and know they are appreciated. After all, they're the ones teaching the next generations to come. How are we going to deal with problems then?

To read this article, go to http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/UT_TEACHER_BONUSES_UTOL-?SITE=UTSGS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT